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Tag: Georgia Politics

  • Analysis: With one week remaining, Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shore up their bases

    Analysis: With one week remaining, Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shore up their bases

    There are eight days remaining in the 2024 Presidential Election for Vice President Kamala D. Harris and former President Donald J. Trump. In the last week, Vice President Harris visited Clarkston, an enclave bordered by Decatur to the west and Stone Mountain to the east. Friday, Harris visited Houston, Texas to campaign alongside U.S. Represntative Colin Allred, Kelly Rowland, and Beyoncé. Saturday, Michelle Obama joined Harris to rally voters in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Meanwhile, Trump headlined a rally at Madison Square Garden and is set to return to Atlanta tonight at Georgia Tech.

    What do we know about the race with one week to go?

    First, the early voting turnout in Georgia has surpassed the levels from 2020. As of 6am Monday morning, 38.9% of Georgia’s registered voters have made their choice in this year’s presidential election. More than 2.81 million voters have cast their ballot. Black voters make up nearly 34% of that turnout. The general rule of thumb is if more than 30% of Black voters vote for the Democratic Party, it bodes well for their chances. In the cases for Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton and Henry Counties, total turnout has been north of 40% during the early voting period.

    Additionally, 71,000 Georgians who were registered to vote in 2020, but did not cast a ballot in that election, have already cast a ballot this year during the first week of early voting. Among newly-activated voters, Democrats currently hold an edge. 

    Every single survey has Harris and Trump locked in a dead heat in Georgia. 

    Maya Harris speaks during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, October 18, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    A Woman’s Right to Choose is central to Democrats closing message

    During each campaign stop, one message was clear: reproductive freedom for women is true freedom for all Americans. The stories of the pain and suffering were told in an effervescent manner. Thursday, the family of Amber Nicole Thurman attended the Harris rally in Clarkston. Friday, Harris rallied voters in Houston on her pledge to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Texas, like Georgia, abortion procedures are prohibited at six weeks – before many women know they are pregnant – with exceptions only if the mother’s life is in danger. 

    “So do you think Donald Trump is thinking about the consequences for the millions of women who will be living in medical deserts,” asked Michelle Obama during her speech in Houston. “Does anyone think he has the emotional maturity and foresight to come up with a plan to protect us?”

    During an event hosted by Maya Harris, the women backing the Vice President Harris urged attendees to vote early and in person, emphasizing the significance of youth and diverse voter engagement. Maya Harris also underscored the Vice President’s commitment to reproductive freedom. The message was clear: individual efforts can make a significant impact, and the collective goal is to ensure Kamala Harris becomes the next President.

    Objectives for enshrining Roe

    1. Vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming election, as she has pledged to protect reproductive rights and expand access to healthcare.
    2. Women must have open and honest conversations important men in their lives to make it clear that protecting women’s health and rights is a priority. Urge the gentlemen to vote accordingly.
    3. Encourage women, especially first-time voters, to exercise their right to vote and make their voices heard on these critical issues.
    4. Support efforts to pass legislation that would restore nationwide protections for reproductive rights.
    5. Advocate against policies and politicians that seek to restrict or undermine access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, contraception, and maternal care.
    Maya Harris takes a selfie with a crowd during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, October 18, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    “It is why she has spent her entire life fighting for each of us to be able to have that freedom,” explained Maya Harris. “To put a fine point on it, like the freedom to make our own decisions about our health, our families and our futures. Which includes our reproductive freedom, which is a defining issue, not just in this election, but for our entire country.  And certainly for this room in so many ways. It’s an issue that Kamala has been the strongest, most vocal champion of this issue since the overturning of Roe v Wade.”

    Puerto Rico, an American territory, MAGA’s latest target

    While Kamala Harris was in Philadelphia on Sunday, Donald Trump staged a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was apropos for Trump to hold such an event on an NFL Sunday.  Trump notoriously failed in his attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills and the NFL put the former United States Football League out of business in the 1980s.

    As for modern times, Trump and his surrogates put on a rally that was red meat for conservatives living on Long Island and Staten Island. Comedian Tony Hinchcliff warmed up the crowd by dehumanizing Puerto Ricans when he said, “I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” That joke did not go over well for U.S. Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida currently fighting to keep his seat. 

    The problem for Scott is that every speaker was vetted by Team Trump. Scott is locked in a battle with Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for his seat in November’s elections. Florida is home to the largest number of Puerto Ricans in the United States outside of the island itself.

    Conversely, Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi and others have shared a post by Kamala Harris which outlines her plans for Puerto Rico. Each person is supporting Harris in the election. 

    Notably, about 100,000 Puerto Ricans live in Georgia. Also notable, it took the Trump team six hours to clean up the disastrous fallout from the joke. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” says Trump campaign Senior Advisor Danielle Alvarez. I mean, this too is a lie because Trump spent the week calling America a ‘garbage can.’ Trump also wanted to swap Puerto Rico for Greenland in 2020.

    https://twitter.com/PR_Dems/status/1850664092614426748

    Trump does nothing to distance himself from the fascist labels

    David Rem, a Trump surrogate, called Vice President Harris ‘the antichrist’. Tucker Carlson referred to Harris as, ‘a Samoan, Malaysian, low IQ former California prosecutor.’ Stephen Miller said, ‘America is for Americans and Americans only.’ That quote was directly lifted from Adolf Hitler’s speech in 1934 when he said, ‘Germany is for Germans and Germans only.’ No coincidence here. The Nazi Party held a rally at the World’s Most Famous Arena in 1939, espousing similar views. 

    This story will not directly discuss Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly proclaiming that his former boss is a fascist and wishes he had generals that are loyal to him like Hitler’s. However, Miller’s quote is directly reminiscent of Joseph Goebbels, the philosopher of the Nazi Party. Goebbels drafted its literature which was cloaked in antisemitism. 

    For Trump, he realized his dream of seeing his name in lights on Sunday. Like his rally in Traverse City on Friday, Trump showed up hours late for his event. Trump labeled the Democrats as ‘the enemy from within’ because he believes they’ve done terrible things to America. Trump rattled through his greatest hits Sunday. He attacked the media and referred to America’s generals as ‘weak, stupid people’. Trump also said FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina was worse than Hurricane Katrina because FEMA paid out money to undocumented immigrants. That is an outright lie.

    Subsequently, his followers left MSG after they could not sit around any longer. 

    Black Men and the Vote

    Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, at the James R Hallford Stadium on October 24, 2024 in Clarkston, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    During Sunday night’s WinWithBlackMen call, it emphasized the importance of increasing Black voter turnout in key battleground states. Key metrics included Black women voting 34-56 points above Black men in some states, and over 65% of Black voters aged 65+ having already voted. In Georgia, 38% of Black men have voted in the 2024 Elections.

    Many leaders on the call were emphasizing to young voters that their vote can make a critical difference. For example, The Collective PAC is hiring up to 15,000 voting ambassadors in key swing states, including Georgia, to organize their friends and family. They are encouraging young people to sign up as ambassadors and leverage their personal networks to drive voter turnout.

    The idea that Black men are not turning out for Harris is a myth. 72% of Black men are supporting Harris according to a Pew Research Center survey. However, misogyny is what is driving conversation. It is not a myth that misogyny by some Black men are being platformed by the Republican Party. Those pleas got hollowed out when “Dixie” was played before the U.S. Representative, Byron Donalds, was introduced in New York City Sunday afternoon.

    The finish line is approaching

    With eight days remaining, the Harris campaign has momentum. They are packing out stadiums. If polling data is not to be trusted, follow the money. The Harris campaign raised more than $1 billion in the period before September 30th, according to official filings. 

    Conversely, the Trump campaign is resigned to using racism and threats of violence. Trump even winked at the U.S. House Speaker, Mike Johnson, saying: “I think with our little secret we are gonna do really well with the house. Our little secret is having a big impact. He and I have a little secret. We will tell you what it is when the race is over.” Trump hopes the Election has enough chaos that it shall be thrown into the House of Representatives. 

    Donald Trump pledges to use the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. It was created to deport individuals during war with France, to deport undocumented immigrants from the United States. While Trump’s surrogates are making jingoistic and xenophobic remarks, Vice President Kamala Harris is shoring up support within Latino communities in Philadelphia.

    The case for both candidates is now in the collective hands of Georgia voters.

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • Georgia election official says battleground state fended off cyberattack likely from a foreign country

    Georgia election official says battleground state fended off cyberattack likely from a foreign country

    (CNN) — Georgia’s secretary of state’s office this month fended off a cyberattack believed to have come from a foreign country against the website voters use to request absentee ballots, the office told CNN.

    The state’s cyber defenses — aided by tech firm Cloudflare — repelled the hackers’ attempts to knock the absentee ballot website offline, and there was no disruption to voters’ ability to request ballots.

    “It slowed our systems down for a little bit, but it never stopped our systems from working,” Gabe Sterling, an official in Georgia’s secretary of state’s office, which oversees elections in the battleground state, told CNN.

    The cyberattack likely originated from overseas and had “the hallmarks of a foreign power or a foreign entity [acting] at the behest of a foreign power,” Sterling said.

    US officials have yet to publicly confirm that assessment.

    Hundreds of thousands of IP addresses from numerous countries flooded the Georgia website with bogus traffic, Sterling said in an interview on Wednesday.

    “From talking to experts, it felt like a probing attack, saying, ‘Hey, if we do this, what will they do in response?’” Sterling said.

    CNN has requested comment from Cloudflare, a San Francisco-based firm that protects large portions of the internet from cyberattacks.

    The FBI and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are aware of the cyberattack and worked with the Georgia secretary of state’s office in the aftermath of the incident, sources told CNN. The FBI declined to comment. CISA referred questions to officials in Georgia.

    The incident is a reminder of the keen interest that hackers take in election-related targets with the US presidential race in its final days. In a given election cycle, a range of cybercriminals and state-backed hacking groups might opportunistically target political campaigns and election offices for their own purposes.

    None of the cyber activity has prevented the casting or tallying of votes so far; it’s instead often aimed at voters’ perceptions of the democratic process.

    Separate from the Georgia incident, Iranian government-linked hackers have researched and probed election-related websites in multiple US swing states, in a possible effort to discover vulnerabilities that could be used to influence the election, Microsoft said on Wednesday.

    Election offices in Georgia are no stranger to cyber threats.

    Georgia’s Coffee County was hit with a cyberattack in April that forced the county to sever its connection to the state’s voter registration system as a precautionary measure, CNN previously reported.

    CNN

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  • Burns, other state House speakers seeking federal disaster relief for hurricane damage

    Burns, other state House speakers seeking federal disaster relief for hurricane damage

    ATLANTA – State House speakers in six Southeastern states affected by three hurricanes in recent months – including Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns – sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday asking for disaster relief funds.

    Significant portions of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee sustained heavy damage from hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton, devastating communities and farms.

    In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the state legislative leaders suggested Congress send block grants to the affected states, as was done following Hurricane Michael in 2018.

    “Timely delivery of disaster assistance is extremely important as farmers will be unable to secure financing for planting next year’s crop without this support,” the letter stated. “The groundwork Congress laid after Hurricane Michael was extremely beneficial through providing block grants to the affected states.”

    The letter also asked Congress to provide a special supplemental appropriation through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that could be used to help states with long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure, housing, and economic development.

    A third request seeks funding through the Federal Highway Administration to rebuild roads and bridges destroyed along the paths of the hurricanes.

    “These historic storms have left countless citizens, farmers, and businesses facing generational impacts on their way of life and the places they call home,” said Burns, R-Newington. “This aid will be critical to ensuring the timely assistance of our most heavily impacted states.”

    Dave Williams and Capitol Beat News Service

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  • Georgia State House candidate Mishael White discusses the issues in an exclusive Interview

    Georgia State House candidate Mishael White discusses the issues in an exclusive Interview

    Mishael White, a first-time candidate for Georgia House District 81, discussed his campaign focused on unifying diverse residents in Henry County. He emphasized addressing common issues transcending party and race. White highlighted his commitment to public service and the positive community response to his blue-collar background.

    House District 81 contains portions of Locust Grove and McDonough.

    “It’s a diverse area. You have a mix of Democrat, Republican, white, and Black. “But the things that I’ve been focused on in the campaign are the issues that we that we share in common. These are issues that transcend party and they transcend race. And so the type of campaign that I’ve been running is one that is looking to unify us.”

    White also stresses the importance of reducing Georgia’s high maternal mortality rate. Plus, White speaks about the rumored disconnect between Black men and the Democratic Party. He stresses the importance of framing the rise of a black woman as a positive development that does not come at the expense of Black men and encourages a focus on qualifications and policy impact. White also emphasizes the need for better messaging and outreach to highlight policies that benefit Black men, such as criminal justice reform and education investment.

    White also talks about Georgia’s heartbeat law which bans abortions at six weeks of pregnancy. Georgia’s abortion bans occur before an embryo is fully formed. Georgia is one of fourteen states where such abortion bans are on the books. White commits to representing the voices of his constituents and voting based on their needs and concerns.


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    Itoro Umontuen currently serves as Managing Editor of The Atlanta Voice. Upon his arrival to the historic publication, he served as their Director of Photography. As a mixed-media journalist, Umontuen…
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  • Grammy-winner Jermaine Dupri campaigns for Harris-Walz ticket in Georgia

    Grammy-winner Jermaine Dupri campaigns for Harris-Walz ticket in Georgia

    Two-time GRAMMY award winner Jermaine Dupri will campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket tomorrow in Georgia. JD is launching an effort to reach Black men who are undecided before the start of early voting, which is October 15th. These efforts are critical if the Harris campaign is to win Georgia in November.

    Dupri will headline a “Brothas and Brews” event at an Atlanta brewery on Friday, October 11th at 6:30pm. Joining JD will be singer, actor, activist Isaac Hayes III; rapper, singer, and activist Armani White. Additionally, Atlanta Public Schools Board Member Alfred ‘Shivy’ Brooks and Fulton County Democrats Chair Dontaye Carter will be in attendance.

    In a recent interview, Dupri says, “A lot of times we don’t have all the information and we also don’t know how important we are. I think this election … sounds like it’s very important for us to be focused and know what’s going on.”

    This event is part of the campaign’s ongoing efforts to reach Black men and underscore the stakes of the election. Vice President Kamala Harris has promoted her record of delivering for Black communities and her vision for a New Way Forward. She has put forth economic plans that promises to lower costs. Plus, Harris has plans that seek to make it easier to build generational wealth, and protect rights and freedoms.


    Itoro Umontuen currently serves as Managing Editor of The Atlanta Voice. Upon his arrival to the historic publication, he served as their Director of Photography. As a mixed-media journalist, Umontuen…
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  • Georgia State Election Board and Fulton County spar over election monitor plan

    Georgia State Election Board and Fulton County spar over election monitor plan

    ATLANTA (AP) — With less than a month to go before voters head to the polls, the State Election Board is embroiled in a fight with Georgia’s most populous county over a monitoring team to observe the county’s election practices.

    The monitoring team was part of a resolution of a complaint against Fulton County stemming from the 2020 election. The State Election Board in May found that the county violated some parts of the state election code. It voted to issue a letter of reprimand, which included instructions for an agreement on a mutually acceptable monitor to be entered into by the board’s August meeting.

    But the county and state election boards have been unable reach agreement. The county favors a team proposed by Ryan Germany, a former chief lawyer for the secretary of state’s office, and the Atlanta-based Carter Center. The Donald Trump-endorsed majority on the State Election Board has proposed an alternative slate that includes people who questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.

    In late August the county went ahead and hired its team without agreement from the state board, and it has been in place monitoring pre-election practices for over a month. But the disagreement between the county and state boards continued to fester and escalated significantly this week.

    On Monday the Fulton County board filed a lawsuit asking a judge to declare that the state board lacks the authority to force it “to accept, and Fulton County to pay for, additional monitors for the 2024 election that have been hand-picked by certain State Election Board members.”

    At a State Election Board meeting Tuesday, member Janice Johnston said the county doesn’t seem to be holding up its part of the bargain. She had voted against the agreement because she didn’t believe the investigation into the original complaint was complete and has repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to reopen it.

    Johnston proposed subpoenaing a trove of 2020 election documents from the Fulton County clerk of court. She and the other two Republican members of the board voted for the subpoena over the objections of the lone Democratic member and the nonpartisan chair, who pointed out that the state attorney general said the case was closed and could not be reopened.

    An Aug. 19 legal opinion written by state Attorney General Chris Carr and obtained by The Associated Press says final decisions of the State Election Board are “preclusive” and that “re-litigation of all claims which have already been adjudicated, or which could have been adjudicated, is therefore prohibited.” Fulton County attorneys assert that the approval of the motion at the May meeting and resulting reprimand meant the case is closed and can’t be reopened, and that “argument is likely correct,” Carr wrote.

    Asked about the attorney general’s guidance, Johnston said, “That was opinion. That’s not a legal finding. That was their advice or opinion. We have different opinions about that.”

    Fulton is home to about 11% of the state’s electorate and includes most of Atlanta. Problems with its elections, including long lines and slow reporting of results, have drawn national scrutiny. Then-President Trump falsely asserted that widespread voter fraud in Fulton County during the 2020 presidential election cost him the state.

    After a particularly problematic primary that year, the county and the State Election Board formally agreed to assign an independent monitor to examine county’s election practices during the general. He documented “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but found no evidence of illegality or fraud.

    Fulton County’s elections have been closely watched since then, and the State Election Board voted last year not to take over its elections after a performance review found the county showed marked improvement.

    The county and the secretary of state’s office both signed off in July on a team proposed by Germany, who also was part of the team that did the performance review. The county also rejected a proposal from Johnston.

    The Republican majority on the State Election Board repeatedly said during meetings in August that they did not approve of the county’s team. But the county board reaffirmed its selection, and county commissioners voted to approve the contract days later.

    The state board Republicans in September repeated their dissatisfaction, and Johnston suggested that she and board chair John Fervier meet with Fulton County election board chair Sherri Allen.

    Fervier said at Tuesday’s meeting that they met last week, that Johnston proposed that the monitoring team be expanded and that the state board sent a list of eight proposed members. Allen told them the county commissioners would have to make the change, and Fervier said he believed no action was taken on that front.

    Fervier then said he was alerted that morning about the Fulton board’s petition to the judge. Johnston said she interpreted that as a rejection of the monitoring team members they proposed and accused the local board of not complying with its obligation under the agreement.

    Associated Press

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  • Georgia’s heartbeat law ruled unconstitutional, abortion services to resume statewide

    Georgia’s heartbeat law ruled unconstitutional, abortion services to resume statewide

    Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled Monday afternoon Georgia’s heartbeat law which bans abortions at six weeks of pregnancy is unconstitutional.  The Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, bans most abortions the moment “a detectable human heartbeat” is present. 

    Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound in cells within an embryo that will become the heart. That process could take place as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many pregnancies are detected. 

    Georgia is one of fourteen states where such abortion bans are enforced. As a result, abortions can resume beyond six weeks in Georgia until 22 weeks of pregnancy.

    Here is a portion of McBurney’s ruling: 

    “While the State’s interest in protecting “unborn” life is compelling, until that life can be sustained by the State — and not solely by the woman compelled by the Act to do the State’s work — the balance of rights favors the woman.”

    The Republican majority in the General Assembly passed the Living Infants and Equality (LIFE) Act in 2019. The law bans abortion in Georgia after a fetal heartbeat appears. The law included exceptions for rape, incest, and “medical emergencies,” defined as a life-threatening condition or threat of irreversible physical impairment to the mother.

    Consequently, federal courts blocked the law from taking effect until 2022, after the United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

    Georgia Democrats are celebrating the victory while preparing for the possibility McBurney’s ruling will be subject to appeal. 

    “Today’s decision is a critical victory for reproductive freedom in Georgia, reaffirming that politicians have no place in our personal medical decisions. While I am encouraged by this ruling, the work to restore reproductive freedom is far from over. Courts alone cannot protect our rights.

    United States Representative Nikema Williams, D-Georgia, speaks during a press conference on Saturday, June 1, 2024 in Decatur, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    We need federal protections for the right to make decisions about our bodies and futures now more than ever. I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure that everyone, no matter their zip code, has access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion.”

    The reproductive rights group SisterSong filed a lawsuit challenging the law. They won an initial ruling by McBurney in November 2022 declaring the ban unconstitutional. However, the Georgia Supreme Court reversed McBurney’s decision one year later. The body sent the case back to Fulton County Superior Court, leading to Monday’s decision.

    McBurney says women cannot do the State’s work

    Additionally, McBurney’s order says “until that life can be sustained by the State — and not solely by the woman compelled by the Act to do the State’s work — the balance of rights favors the woman.” 

    Georgia State Senator Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta, speaks inside the Georgia Senate chambers on Monday, February 26, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    “Today’s ruling is a win for women across Georgia, who once again have the right to make decisions about their own bodies,” says Georgia State Senator Sonya Halpern. “While we know this decision will likely face appeal, this moment offers hope to countless women who deserve the dignity and freedom to make their own healthcare choices. We will continue to fight to defend these rights for women across our state.”

    Republicans promise to keep fighting for abortion restrictions

    Governor Brian Kemp, who signed the bill into law on May 7, 2019, issued the following statement:

    “Once again, the will of Georgians and their representatives have been overruled by the personal beliefs of one judge. Protecting the lives of the most vulnerable among us is one of our most sacred responsibilities, and Georgia will continue to be a place where we fight for the lives of the unborn.”

    Unlike other states, Georgia does not have a mechanism allowing initiatives to appear on a ballot. As such, there are at least ten states that have the option to codify abortion access into their state’s constitution. However, Democrats have continually fought to make abortion access a central issue heading into November’s elections. 

    On the other hand, McBurney’s ruling also says that Georgia’s heartbeat bill induces women into a legal fight. According to his order, Georgia’s abortion ban makes women the inherent property of the State. Why? Their access to care is, “decided by majority vote.” McBurney continues, “Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted, not-yet-viable fetus to term violates her constitutional rights to liberty and privacy, even taking into consideration whatever bundle of rights the not-yet-viable fetus may have.”

    A cautionary tale regarding abortion bans

    Georgia’s abortion ban was held to harsh scrutiny as the story of Amber Nicole Thurman received more notoriety. Thurman, 28, went to Piedmont Henry Hospital in suburban Atlanta with signs of sepsis in August 2022. She had taken USDA-approved  mifepristone and misoprostol to end her pregnancy. It took 20 hours for doctors to intervene with a dilation and curettage procedure. That procedure had become a felony under Georgia’s abortion ban with few exceptions. Thurman passed away. First reported by ProPublica, Thurman’s ordeal is the first publicized case of a woman dying as a result of Georgia’s abortion ban. 

    Georgia State Representative Dar’Shun Kendrick poses for a photograph outside of the House Chamber inside the Georgia State Capitol on February 22, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    “Finally a judge that understands that life and liberty are paramount to our democracy,” says Georgia State Representative Dar’shun Kendrick, a Democrat representing State House District 95, which contains portions of Lithonia plus DeKalb, Gwinnett and Rockdale Counties. Life and liberty for the mother [are] first and foremost.”

    What’s next?

    Vice President Kamala Harris has called for codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. Conversely, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, supports leaving the abortion issue to the states.

    A portrait of Debra Shigley on April 13, 2024, in Alpharetta, Georgia. (Photo by: Kevin Lowery)

    “I applaud this ruling, and this is a win because abortion is once again legal in Georgia today,” says Debra Shigley, a candidate for Georgia State House District 47. “Will it be tomorrow? We can expect an appeal from the State, and possible temporary suspension of the ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court.

    This fight for our reproductive rights is still very much ongoing no matter how the Georgia Supreme Court rules. Republicans including, [Speaker Pro Tempore] Jan Jones, have made their intent very clear. We know exactly what their playbook will be in the next legislative session. That is exactly why we need to elect pro-choice candidates to ensure reproductive freedom in Georgia.”

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • Debra Shigley: No right, and NOBODY, is safe

    Debra Shigley: No right, and NOBODY, is safe

    Like many women in Georgia and across the country — I was shaken to my core the day that Roe v. Wade was overturned. I am a mother of five children. I know there is no safe pregnancy without access to abortion care. Without control over our bodies, we are not free. The warnings of what the Supreme Court intended to do didn’t lessen the shock – I felt a deep anger, sadness, and grief. I knew that the Georgia abortion ban was deadly. Now I feel that same anger, sadness, and grief as I see the worst case scenario come to pass. 

    Just this week, we learned of Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28 year-old mother, who died after becoming septic when doctors delayed performing a routine Dilation and Curettage (D&C) procedure. Thurman suffered in pain for more than 20 hours, her organs failing. When doctors finally operated, it was too late.

    In the weeks following the Dobbs decision, I could not forget the images of abortion bans immediately being signed into law across the country. I was disturbed when I noticed the pattern of who was in the room, singing these bills and banning our rights. Or moreover, who wasn’t in these rooms. Majority of these decision makers were men, men who not only were stripping me and every woman I love of our rights, but doing so with such little concern for the lives they so recklessly put at stake. I felt helpless. I was helpless. Plus, I immediately began to question where we go from here—and what role I would play in restoring abortion access to my friends, neighbors, and daughters. 

    The State of Georgia is culpable

    The same Georgia lawmakers – the same men – who were so eager to make abortion illegal, passed a law making a D&C procedure a felony with very few exceptions. This law directly led to Amber Nicole’s death. A D&C is a minor and routine procedure, but the law restricting it led to a little boy who now has to grow up without his mother. How can we expect that doctors will be able to provide the appropriate care when they are operating in a climate of fear of losing their careers? This fear is exactly what this law is designed to create – a chilling effect on medical care needed by women.

    Worst of all, Amber Nicole’s story isn’t unique. A woman named Candi Miller also died after being unable to seek care due to Georgia’s restrictive and controlling laws. How many more women’s stories are not being told in national news? How many more women are going to die because of a draconian law, put into place by Republican lawmakers who have no business acting as medical professionals? Additionally, how many women have already died? Amber and Candi’s deaths were preventable. Maternal health experts determined they were due to lack of access to safe abortion care, the same safe abortion care that was stolen from us. 

    Nobody is safe

    When Governor Kemp signed our state’s abortion ban into law, he said that ‘Georgia is a state that values life.’ And yet he has let many innocent women die because they needed medical care.  Georgia already has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country. Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy than their White counterparts. In the post-Roe world, Georgia’s maternal mortality rate is increasing, rising by 40% for women of color. 

    This is not about valuing life, this is about controlling women and denying us our privacy, dignity, and freedom. One of my strongest memories from law school is learning about the steady progression of individual rights secured in America. What alarms me is this rolling back of rights. We are witnessing the roll back of our nation’s agreement that we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

    In this climate, no rights, and no body is safe. Amber Nicole should be alive. Candi Miller should be alive. Pregnancy should never result in otherwise preventable death – women exercising bodily autonomy should not result in death.

    I decided to run for office because I needed to speak up.

    I cannot tell my daughter that her brother can make his own health care decisions, but she can’t. Also, I cannot allow my daughters to feel violated by their lack of bodily autonomy within this state. Lastly, I certainly cannot sit by and watch my daughters continue to be in the same kind of danger they are in now. I cannot, and I will not.

    Debra Shigley is a lawyer, former reporter and mother of five. Shigley is currently a candidate for Georgia House District 47. The opinions expressed are her own.

    Opinion by Debra Shigley

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  • Trump-backed Georgia State Election Board mandates ALL paper ballots be hand-counted in 2024 Elections

    Trump-backed Georgia State Election Board mandates ALL paper ballots be hand-counted in 2024 Elections

    The Georgia State Election Board approved a rule that forces poll workers to count paper ballots by hand. The measure passed 3-2 Friday. Despite the new rule flying against the advice of the Attorney General’s office, the Secretary of State’s office and a group of county election officials. 

    Here is how the new rules would work: three poll workers hand count ballots, sorting them into stacks of fifty ballots until all have been counted. The three workers must arrive at the same total. If that number doesn’t match those recorded on the voter check-in system, the electronic voting machines and the scanner recap forms, the poll manager is to determine the reasons for inconsistency. If possible, the workers and the poll manager must correct the errors.

    Attorney General Chris Carr warned of possible illegal condct. In his letter, he says:

    “The Board has no authority to promulgate rules regarding the classification or retention of documents,”and promulgation of the rule would very likely go beyond the scope of the Board’s authority and be subject to challenge as invalid.

    Full Chris Carr letter to State Election Board

    The fallout from 2020 continues to persist

    In August, former President Donald Trump praised the three officials that would eventually affirm the measure. 

    “They’re on fire. They’re doing a great job.” “Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares and Janelle King, three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory,” Trump said.

    Janelle King, a member voting in favor of the new rule, argued that the board was “creating more stability in our election process”. She believes they are providing election officials the room to ensure that the final results are accurate.

    On August 15th, Georgia Secretary of State (and the previous administrator of Georgia’s elections) Brad Raffensperger lampooned the proposed rules.

    “Activists seeking to impose last-minute changes in election procedures outside of the legislative process undermine voter confidence and burden election workers,” Raffensperger said in a news release.

    These actions are a result of a series of actions taken by Trump allies over the past three years. Their goal since Trump lost in 2020 has been to fundamentally reshape election administration in Georgia. After Raffensperger refused to ‘find 11,780 votes’, the Georgia Legislature stripped him of his powers. In August 2024, the Georgia State Election Board voted for Attorney General Carr to investigate the Fulton County government. This request has been long on the minds of MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump alike. 

    Democrats and some Republicans are fighting back

    Democrats said during an August press conference that these moves could sow chaos and uncertainty following the elections. 

    “What is unfolding in Georgia is nothing less than an effort to subvert democracy and move us backward,” U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, said Monday during a news conference at the state Capitol. “We must not allow our State Election Board to be taken over by Donald Trump.”

    Two Georgia Republicans and a non-profit organization filed a lawsuit challenging anti-democratic rules passed by the MAGA members of the State Election Board (SEB).

    “These misguided, last-minute changes from unelected bureaucrats who have never run an election and seem to reject the advice of anyone who ever has could cause serious problems in an election that otherwise will be secure and accurate,” Raffensperger said in a statement released on August 15.

    Also, the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Georgia Sued the State Election Board for taking similar stances.

    The final day to register to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election in Georgia is Monday, October 7th. Early voting in Georgia begins on October 15.  The earliest possible date new rules could take effect if passed is October 14, which is just 22 days before the General Election. 

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • Georgia State Rep. Tanya Miller: Gov. Kemp Boasts of Failure While Our Children Bear its Burden

    Georgia State Rep. Tanya Miller: Gov. Kemp Boasts of Failure While Our Children Bear its Burden

    Just weeks into the new school year, a tragedy unfolded at Apalachee High School. A troubled 14-year-old, armed with an AR-style rifle, shot and killed four people—two students and two teachers—leaving nine more critically injured. As our community reels, Governor Brian Kemp offers the same tired response: thoughts, prayers, and a call for “investigation” instead of action.

    But how many more investigations do we need? How many more children need to die before we stop hiding behind hollow platitudes and do something to prevent the next tragedy? It’s time for leadership, and it’s time for action. What Republicans are offering is too little, too late. 

    For years, Republican leaders in Georgia have prioritized guns over public safety. Governor Kemp’s first gubernatorial campaign in 2018 was built on promises to loosen gun restrictions. He even ran a TV ad where he pointed a rifle, point blank, at a teenage boy. Then, in 2022, he signed Senate Bill 319 into law, allowing both open and concealed carry without a permit, without fingerprinting, and without background checks or safety training.

    Governor Kemp says he wears his “F” grade from the Giffords Law Center as “a badge of honor.” But what does that say to the parents of the children killed at Apalachee High? It says that guns matter more than their children’s lives. It says that the gun lobby’s dollars are worth more than a child’s future. Kemp may find honor in his failure, but it is our children who pay its heavy price. 

    Governor Kemp’s suggestion that ‘now is not the time for politics‘ is a cop-out. Voters elect politicians to do a job. We are tasked with solving problems, not simply offering performative gestures. 

    Under Georgia law, it’s perfectly legal for a minor to possess an assault weapon like the one used at Apalachee High. There are no restrictions on a child receiving an AR-15 as a gift or purchasing one from an unlicensed seller. Why on Earth is it easier for a teenager in Georgia to get a weapon of war than it is for them to vote or to see a doctor when they’re sick? 

    This isn’t an abstract question—it’s the deadly reality we face. Georgia’s laws are written in a way that prioritizes gun rights over children’s lives, and now is the time to change that. Guns don’t belong in the hands of unsupervised minors, and certainly not AR-style rifles that can fire dozens of rounds per minute. It is an unconscionable failure of leadership that this loophole still exists.

    Now, rest assured, no one is coming to take your guns. I’m not interested in stripping law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights. Keep your gun. Just keep it secure. Use it responsibly. But don’t let your rights infringe on someone else’s God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    This is about common sense. It is about mandatory safe storage laws, which require guns to be kept locked and out of reach of children and others who could misuse them. It’s about red flag laws, which allow authorities to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. Plus, it’s about closing background check loopholes that let dangerous people get their hands on guns.

    These aren’t radical ideas. In fact, most gun owners already support them. The truth is, most people want to be responsible, but we need laws that ensure everyone is held to the same standard of responsibility.

    While we grieve, Republican lawmakers offer half-hearted gestures that lack urgency. For example, Republicans claim to care about mental health, yet they refuse to do the one thing that would most effectively increase resources for mental health care—a full expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. In fact, Georgia dropped approximately 300,000 children from Medicaid programs in 2023. 

    Georgia also has one of the worst rankings for school psychologist-to-student ratios in the country.

    Instead, Republicans talk about arming teachers. It is an idea so absurd that it’s opposed by teachers, law enforcement, and school safety experts alike. They suggest building fortresses out of our schools, with armed guards and high-tech security systems. However, they do not offer real funding or support to make that a reality.

    These are not solutions. These are distractions from the real issue: we have a gun violence crisis in this state, and we’re doing nothing about it.

    We don’t have to live like this. We don’t have to send our children to schools that feel more like war zones than places of learning. And, we can make our communities safer by passing common-sense gun reforms that the majority of Georgians, including responsible gun owners, support.

    First, we need mandatory safe storage laws. Every gun should be stored safely, especially in homes with children. Safe storage prevents accidents, suicides, and keeps firearms out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have access to them.

    Second, we need to enact red flag laws. These laws have been proven to save lives by temporarily removing guns from individuals in crisis. Why wait until someone harms themselves or others? Why not act when we see clear warning signs?

    Finally, we must expand background checks to close the loopholes that allow dangerous individuals to obtain firearms without any oversight. It’s common sense that anyone buying a gun should pass a background check, no matter where or how they purchase it.

    And we must, without delay, ban minors from owning AR-style rifles. These are weapons of war, not tools for hunting or self-defense. A 14-year-old should not be able to access a weapon capable of such widespread carnage. This loophole is a direct threat to our children, and it must be closed.

    It is time for Republicans to lead or get out of the way. The question before us is simple: will we do something, or will we continue to do nothing? Will we protect our children, or will we continue to sacrifice their lives on the altar of political expediency?

    For years, Democrats in Georgia have been fighting for common-sense gun reforms, only to be blocked by Republicans who refuse to act. But the tide is turning. Voters are demanding action. Governor Kemp says this isn’t the time for politics, but that’s exactly what we need: the political will to stand up to the gun lobby and do what’s right for Georgia’s children.

    If our Republican colleagues can’t muster the courage to act, then they should step aside and let those of us who are willing to lead do the job we were elected to do.

    Let Kemp wear his badge of failure with pride. His failure mustn’t be ours. We can no longer afford to wait. Our children’s lives depend on it.

    Georgia State Representative Tanya F. Miller, Esq., is a Democrat representing the 62nd State House District which contains portions of Atlanta and East Point. Miller also serves as the lead counselor with the Georgia Federation of Public Service Employees. The views and opinions expressed are entirely her own.

    Georgia State Representative Tanya F. Miller

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  • U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett leads ‘clapback’ conversation on MAGA, voting rights, and Black lives during CBC week

    U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett leads ‘clapback’ conversation on MAGA, voting rights, and Black lives during CBC week

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Everyone hears the discussions centered on the importance of voting. Plus, everyone shares the challenges with convincing some Black and African-Americans to vote. But, the ‘Make America Great Again’ wing of the Republican Party is making Black Americans and immigrants the faces of illegal voting. During the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference at Congressional Black Caucus Weekend, Angela Rye moderated a conversation led by U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett about how to deal with MAGA, respond to their attacks, among other topics. 

    This action of responding to the opposition during a debate is classically known as ‘the clapback.’

    U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett speaks at a panel discussion during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference on Friday, September 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    Joining Crockett and Rye were Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, the Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas and Christian D. Menefee, the chief civil lawyer for Harris County, Texas which is where Houston is located. 

    “If I am supposed to be a representative of a group of people, and I allow somebody to walk all over me, then that’s like I’m saying it’s okay to walk over my people,” explained U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Have you seen [U.S. Congresswoman] Marjorie [Taylor Greene] lately?” 

    A Texas-sized story about the right to vote

    First, the prominent Crystal Mason shared her experience of being wrongfully convicted for voting while on supervised release in Dallas. In 2016, she provisionally cast her ballot during the presidential election after completing her federal jail sentence. But, the State of Texas prosecuted Mason for the crime of “illegal voting,” the act bars someone who “votes or attempts to vote in an election in which the person knows [they are] not eligible to vote.” 

    Mason said the state considered her ineligible to vote at the time but was still convicted in March 2018 and sentenced to serve five years in state prison. 

    Crystal Mason speaks at a panel discussion during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference on Friday, September 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    “You have got to realize: the judge, the D.A., the prosecutor, and their elected officials, and this is why it is so important to vote,” explains Mason. “I grow weary. You know, ‘my God, why me?’ Why me? Say, ‘why not? You’re the prime example of rehabilitation.’ So this is why I matter in this fight.”

    Mason has had the ability to converse with her Pastor, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, the Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett throughout her ordeal. Crockett, who herself has famously taken on MAGA Republicans, implored the capacity crowd to understand first the ways MAGA values Black lives. Secondly, Crockett explains why Vice President Kamala Harris, and Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, are the prosecutors MAGA are afraid of. 

    “One of the issues that I have right now is having to deal with people that take issue with the Vice President, because she is a former prosecutor,” explains Crockett. “Y’all, we need the findings of the world, this is one of the good ones. So was our vice president. You can’t sit there and skip the DA race, because that’s how we end up with the Crystal Masons. 

    Angela Rye speaks at a panel discussion during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference on Friday, September 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    That’s how we end up with our brothers, our sisters, our cousins, all being incarcerated for little or nothing and getting the highest amount of time. Y’all got to think through this! It’s one of the reasons that they’re constantly going after our access to the ballot box. This country is actually browning, and it is scaring them, and so they want to make sure that they can take away your voice.”

    There is another gentleman, Hervis Rogers. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused him of voting while on parole in the 2020 Presidential Election. Texas Republicans tried to make two Black people the face of illegal voting in the state. That is intentional. Why? They attempted to associate corruption, illegal voting, illegal registrations with Black and Brown people, and it’s an intentional strategy to try to undermine the right to vote. 

    “But make no mistake, what you’re seeing in Texas right now is something that will spread throughout the country if we put the wrong person in the White House,” says Merritt. [Also] if we put the wrong folks in Congress. In some other jurisdictions, y’all got it sweet. It’s real hand to hand combat dealing with these folks.”

    Vote for every position on the ballot, not just for President

    Willis supported Crockett’s point of individuals entering the ballot box, voting for the highest office in the land, and then walking out. She characterized those actions as ‘a disgrace’. Willis also says there are so many things of consequence that can be traced to who does not vote. 

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sits on a panel discussion during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference on Friday, September 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    “I tell people all the time I had no intentions of being a controversial D.A.,” says Willis. “I didn’t know that it was controversial to say that ‘everyone is equal under the law,’ but apparently people are okay with prosecutors that are okay with just putting Black young men in jail, but don’t hold everyone accountable to the law.”

    In Georgia, Florida and Texas, for example, individuals can review anybody’s voting record and registration status if they know that person’s name, date of birth and county of residence. Willis won her election in 2020. Since then, her office has charged rapper Young Thug and former President Donald Trump under Georgia’s RICO statute. During her time in D.C., she addressed her naysayers. However, Willis made one point crystal clear.

    “The first level of intimidation is, what can they call you,’ explains Willis. “So they’ll call you the D.E.I. D.A. they’ll call you a thot. They’ll call you very, very ugly things. And I’ve been called all of them, but I was taught long ago ‘it ain’t what you call me is what I answer to.’ So we as people cannot be reactive to every ignorant insult, because you’re dealing with ignorant people.”

    The charge

    Beyond the clapback, the call to strategize, organize and mobilize voters was heard loud and clear. In his church, Haynes gives people a membership card in one hand and a voter registration card in the other hand. The Pastor also let everyone know there is no perfect candidate. But, it’s up to the collective to push the right candidate. 

    “We saw on Tuesday that if Kamala Harris was a white male, this wouldn’t be a race,” said Haynes. “It would be over. Period.  And yet, this country still has an issue with whiteness. And so as a consequence, we have a responsibility to work 10 times as hard as we do in our individual lives. We’ve got to do it as a collective.” 

    Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, speaks at a panel discussion during the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference on Friday, September 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo Courtesy: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • New rules from GOP-majority election board could cause disarray in battleground Georgia

    New rules from GOP-majority election board could cause disarray in battleground Georgia

    Atlanta (CNN) — The once-wonky Georgia State Election Board has burst into the limelight this year as a new Republican majority – made up of a retired obstetrician, a former state senator who put out feelers for a Trump administration job and a right-wing media personality – push ahead with new rules that could create chaos in November.

    The reshaping of the election board in one of the most critical battleground states of 2024 highlights how some Republicans who cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election results have now taken on prominent roles driving election rules and, in some areas, overseeing elections.

    With less than two months before Election Day, three Republicans on the five-member board are pushing through new rules that could jeopardize election certification, particularly if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the state, election experts and voting rights groups said.

    “We can’t be doing this at the last minute because it creates chaos. And chaos undermines confidence in our elections, full stop,” said Sarah Tindall Ghazal, the lone Democrat on the board. She has kept a low profile since she was appointed in 2021 but has recently emerged in the press to try to counter the election board’s sharp right turn.

    The board is set to consider another slate of new rules at its September 20 meeting.

    “They’re not taking the advice of attorneys, they’re not taking the advice of election administrators – who are really critical in this whole calculus – and they’re certainly not listening to anybody who doesn’t think that the elections are rigged,” she said of the three Republicans driving the raft of rule changes.

    The five-person election board was once led by Georgia’s secretary of state. But after 2020, former President Donald Trump fought to overturn his loss in the Peach State, pressuring Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the thousands of votes Trump needed to win. Raffensperger refused, and in the aftermath, the GOP-led state legislature removed the secretary as a member of the board.

    “The state election board is a mess,” Raffensperger told reporters recently.

    Defending the changes

    Republican Janelle King, a media personality and the newest member of the board, has also become its most vocal defender. She was appointed in May by Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and has since shrugged aside criticism and ethics complaints that the board’s recent moves have generated.

    “I don’t care because I know we haven’t done anything wrong,” King told CNN in an interview. “This is a method of trying to weaken the Republican side by making it seem like we’re out here trying to steal elections. There’s no win for me to steal the election for anybody.”

    King insisted she does not believe the 2020 election was stolen. But she has backed several of the board’s new rules, including a controversial change allowing partisans who serve on local election boards to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results.

    The state election board in Georgia does not certify the results of any election. But it makes rules that guide election administrators and the local boards that certify results before they are sent up to the secretary of state and then the governor. The state election board also investigates election irregularities.

    King and other Republicans have argued recent rule changes are necessary to ensure vote counts are accurate and local election board members have the information they need to feel confident certifying the vote.

    “The concerns around these rules creating chaos, I do not see that happening at all,” King said.

    Rick Jeffares, a former Republican state senator, also joined the board this year. He was appointed by Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, one of the 2020 pro-Trump fake electors.

    When he joined the board, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Jeffares had spread claims on social media, which have since been removed or made private, around the 2020 election about Democrats cheating and dead people voting.

    Jeffares has continued to court controversy by floating his name for a possible role in a future Trump administration.

    “I said if y’all can’t figure out who you want to be the EPA director for the south-east, I’d like to have it,” Jeffares told The Guardian.

    He later told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution it wasn’t a formal ask and, “I didn’t talk to anyone in the Trump administration.”

    Jeffares didn’t respond to an interview request from CNN.

    Janice Johnston, a retired obstetrician who has spread falsehoods about the 2020 election, joined the board in 2022. At a recent MAGA-branded event – Trump campaign signs behind her – Johnston remarked on her senior status on the newly reshaped board.

    “It’s a relatively young board,” Johnston told the crowd. “Now I’m second in seniority, which is shocking because it’s just been a couple of years.”

    Johnston also attended a Trump rally in Atlanta last month where the former president applauded the three Republicans, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honestly, transparency and victory.”

    Johnston did not respond to CNN’s request for an interview.

    Rapid rule changes spook election officials

    The board is now led by a longtime Waffle House executive, John Fervier, an independent who was appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp but has voted against the most controversial rules pushed by the board’s Republican majority. He’s warned the three Republicans that some of their moves could be legally precarious and pushed them, unsuccessfully, to abandon an effort to try to reopen investigations into the 2020 election.

    The seemingly partisan – and sheer amount – of activity from the board so close to November has raised alarms across the state.

    “On election night, the most important thing we’re doing is getting results out. This is going to delay that,” Deirdre Holden, the supervisor for elections and voter registration in Paulding County, said of the board’s new rules at a recent training for election officials. “And it’s not going to be the state election board they are yelling at, its’s going to be our local offices and we already take enough scrutiny.”

    A statewide association of election workers wrote an open letter to the board imploring it to stop passing rule changes so close to the election.

    A Democrat state senator also filed an ethics complaint against King, Jeffares and Johnston, as did Cathy Woolard, a Democrat and the former chair of the Fulton County Board of Elections.

    “We are having a partisan split on every single issue. Election boards should be very predictable, plodding, not partisan,” Woolard said in an interview. “We should be boring.”

    Asked whether the board had pushed ahead with enough changes to potentially swing an election, Woolard said, “Oh sure. I think they’ve done enough to cause chaos in election training in 159 counties. They have created openings for people to say they have a reason not to certify an election.”

    Over the weekend, a top official in the secretary of state’s office looked to reassure wary members of the public. “We are confident certification will be completed by November 12,” Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling posted on X.

    Sara Murray, Jason Morris and CNN

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  • Women’s leadership and power take center stage in the 2024 Presidential Election

    Women’s leadership and power take center stage in the 2024 Presidential Election

    The usual phrase heard between now and Election Day will be, “this is the most important election of our lives.” With sixty-three days remaining, the 2024 Presidential Election could become a referendum on the power of women. Yes, at the ballot box and in elected office. 

    RepresentWomen is an organization that believes in a democracy with gender-balanced representation in appointed and elected government offices. It held an event at the Hubbard Inn during the 2024 Democratic National Convention. It was designed for attendees to meet currently elected women in different levels of government. Also, women who are running for elected positions were also in attendance. The meeting highlighted the importance of women in leadership. Plus, the event emphasized the need for women in state houses. 

    RepresentWomen says they have an outsized focus on state legislatures because statehouses are the epicenters of American democracy right now. For example, when Roe was overturned on June 2022 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the ruling ushered in a patchwork of abortion rules. As a result, every southern state, except Virginia, has a form of an abortion ban in effect. In states like Mississippi and Texas, their attorneys general have proposed a surveillance program to monitor the periods of and the whereabouts of pregnant women. 

    Maya Harris appears during an event by RepresentWomen on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at the Hubbard Inn in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    The Inspirations

    Maya Harris is most well known as Vice President Kamala Harris’s younger sister. However, at 29, she was named Dean of the University of California Hastings College of the Law and Lincoln Law School of San Jose. Since then, Harris served as a senior policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. 

    “She needs everyone in this room fighting right alongside her,” said Maya Harris. “So, in addition to all of the important work to be supported through these two organizations, because you are absolutely right. We are on a mission, and we need to elect women up and down the ticket in every state in this country. We must get this job done to elect Kamala Harris President United States, and we need all of you to do it.”

    RepresentWomen follows Shirley Chisholm’s example

    The keynote speaker was U.S. Representative Barbara Lee. Lee, a Democrat from California, represents the 12th Congressional District which encompasses Oakland. She was the first Black woman north of Los Angeles to be elected to the California legislature in 1990. Lee’s inspiration to run for office came from a visit by Shirley Chisolm, the first Black American  woman to run for President, to her college campus. Lee, at the time, was not interested in joining any political party or registering to vote. 

    “So she took me to task and made me register to vote,” explained Lee. “She also told me that she had something to contribute. Like what? You know, I’m out here struggling, trying to make ends meet and trying to work to make my community better as a community worker.  Like I said, ‘with the Black things, right?’ So what happened, though, she forced me to register, but I did. I ended up going back to talking to my professor. Then, I worked in Shirley’s campaign at the Mills College campus. I got an A in the class, I registered to vote, and I went to Miami as a Shirley Chisholm delegate.”

    U.S. Representative Barbara Lee, D-California, appears during an event by RepresentWomen on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at the Hubbard Inn in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    Benchmarks and Goals

    Based on the conversations during the convention, RepresentWomen are pushing for the following additional resources to support candidates:

    1. Training and guidance on implementing ranked choice voting and public financing campaigns at the local and state levels.
    2. Connections to other organizations and advocates working on these issues to facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
    3. Research and data on the benefits of ranked choice voting and public financing in increasing women’s representation in elected office.
    4. Funding and financial support to help candidates and organizations pursue these policy changes.
    5. Advocacy and lobbying efforts at the state and federal level to promote legislation enabling ranked choice voting and public financing.

    The key is for RepresentWomen to leverage its expertise, network, and resources to empower candidates and organizations working to create the systemic changes necessary for more women to succeed in running for office.

    What is ranked choice voting?

    Voters can list candidates on their ballots by order of preference. They can rank as many candidates as they want without fear that ranking others will hurt the chances of their favorite candidate.  All first choices are counted and if a candidate receives more than half (50 percent plus one vote) of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. 

    If there is no majority winner after counting first choices, the election will be decided by an “instant runoff.” 

    The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as their top choice will have their next choice counted. 

    This process continues until there’s a majority winner or a candidate won with more than half of the vote.

    Just two states — Maine and Alaska — have switched to ranked choice voting for both statewide and presidential elections. New York City also utilizes ranked choice voting. Democrats have said it best aggregates candidates and their converging interests. As a result, the city has women as the majority in the city council for the first time in its history. 

    “Local elections are the worst, where only a few 100 people come out to vote, and so you have people that don’t have the majority of support,” says Laura Murphy, the Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois State Senate. “And what happens is that you prevent women — particularly women of color — being able to win those seats. So when you can rank those choices, you have a better opportunity for winning and being successful.”

    Women in office yields results

    New York State Senator Samra Brouk appears during an event by RepresentWomen on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at the Hubbard Inn in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    New York State Senator Samra Brouk represents the 55th District, which contains portions of Rochester. Brouk worked on Stacey Abrams’s campaign in rural Georgia, in 2018. She says Abrams’ ability to connect with people on issues like health care and criminal justice reform inspired her. This experience motivated Brouk to bring similar efforts to upstate New York. Eventually, Brouk would run for State Senate in 2022. Brouk emphasizes the value of women in elected office. She highlights studies that show women and women of color are better at understanding the needs of their constituents. Lastly, she advocates for more women in leadership roles nationwide.

    “I’m a firm believer that the more women we have in elected office, the better off we are as a country,” says Brouk. “And in fact, there are actual studies that show when women and women of color are in positions of power, they are better able to  collaborate and work together with their colleagues, even across the aisle, to affect change.”

    There are 18 state senates in across the country don’t have a Black woman elected to a state’s upper chamber. RepresentWomen has the data, but they also have the solution: leveraging connections and networks to run for public office. Also, advocating for the solutions in the systemic changes. Brouk says representation matters.

    “Truly understand the voices and the needs of the people that they represent,” says Brouk. “So whether it’s in New York, Oklahoma or Georgia, we need to make sure that more women are getting into these positions to be able to put forward the agenda that most Americans actually want to see.”

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • Ex-election workers want Rudy Giuliani’s apartment, Yankees rings in push to collect $148M judgment

    Ex-election workers want Rudy Giuliani’s apartment, Yankees rings in push to collect $148M judgment

    NEW YORK (AP) — Two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against Rudy Giuliani asked a court Friday to award them the cash-strapped former New York City mayor’s apartment and other property as they ramp up efforts to collect on the staggering debt.

    Lawyers for Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss urged the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to force Giuliani to turn over his Madison Avenue apartment, any remaining cash and some of his prized New York Yankees memorabilia, including three World Series rings and a signed Joe DiMaggio shirt.

    Freeman and Moss also staked a claim to about $2 million Giuliani has said Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign owes him and they sought to take control of another Giuliani property — his Palm Beach, Florida, condominium — through another legal mechanism known as receivership.

    Freeman and Moss, the mother and daughter targeted by Giuliani in the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss, are looking to chip away at what the ex-mayor owes them following the collapse last month of his bankruptcy case, which had paused collection.

    If Giuliani does not turn over his property in a timely fashion, Freeman and Moss’ lawyers said they will see other remedies to wrest control, citing his history of “evasion, obstruction, and outright disobedience.”

    “That strategy reaches the end of the line here,” lawyer Aaron Nathan wrote.

    Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman criticized Friday’s filing as a step “designed to harass and intimidate the mayor” while he’s appealing the “objectively unreasonable” judgment.

    “This lawsuit has always been designed to censor and bully the mayor, and to deter others from exercising their right to speak up and to speak out,” Goodman said. He contends that the “the justice system has been weaponized” against Giuliani “and so many others for strictly partisan political purposes.”

    Giuliani, a longtime Trump ally, filed for bankruptcy last December just days after the eye-popping damages award to Freeman and Moss. The women said Giuliani’s unfounded attacks on them after Trump narrowly lost Georgia to Joe Biden led to death threats that made them fear for their lives.

    As Giuliani’s bankruptcy case played out, Freeman and Moss’ lawyers accused him of using the process as a “bad-faith litigation tactic” and a “pause button on his woes.” Creditors accused him of flouting bankruptcy laws and potentially hiding assets.

    Troubled by Giuliani’s repeated “uncooperative conduct,” self-dealing, and a lack of transparency, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane decided in July to dismiss the case. Lane labeled Giuliani a “recalcitrant debtor” and said he had thumbed his nose at the bankruptcy process while seeking to shield himself from the defamation judgment and other debts.

    Among Lane’s concerns were that Giuliani funneled his income — including at least $15,000 a month from his now-canceled talk radio show — into companies he owned; never reported any income from those entities; failed to disclose that he had started promoting his own “Rudy Coffee” brand; and was late to disclose a contract he has to write a book.

    The bankruptcy dismissal cleared the way for Giuliani’s creditors – chief among them Freeman and Moss – to pursue legal remedies to recoup at least some of the money they’re owed. It also freed Giuliani to pursue his appeal of the defamation verdict.

    Soon after the bankruptcy case ended, Freeman and Moss’ lawyers said they filed paperwork regarding the judgment, placed liens on Giuliani’s New York and Florida properties and sent him a subpoena demanding information about his assets. Giuliani had not responded to the subpoena as of Friday, the lawyers said.

    Giuliani has been trying to sell his Manhattan co-op apartment for more than a year, amid mounting debt and legal woes. Initially listed for $6.5 million in July 2023, the asking price has since fallen to $5.7 million. During the bankruptcy case, he said the Palm Beach condominium had been appraised at $3.5 million.

    In addition to his homes, cash and Yankees mementos, Freeman and Moss are also seeking to take about two dozen of Giuliani’s watches, a diamond ring, costume jewelry, a TV, various items of furniture and a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL500.

    The items, including autographed Reggie Jackson and Yankee Stadium pictures, would then be auctioned off with proceeds going to Freeman and Moss, their lawyers said. All told, the property and cash the women are seeking could be worth somewhere north of $10 million – a sizeable sum, but just a small fraction of what they are owed.

    The potential loss of his possessions is one of a host of legal woes consuming the 80-year-old Giuliani, the former federal prosecutor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate who was once heralded as “America’s Mayor” for his calm and steady leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

    In July, he was disbarred as an attorney in New York after a court found he repeatedly made false statements about Trump’s 2020 election loss. He is also facing the possibility of losing his law license in Washington, D.C., after a board in May recommended that he be disbarred.

    In Georgia and Arizona, Giuliani is facing criminal charges over his role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

    When he filed for bankruptcy, Giuliani listed nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts, including the $148 million owed to Freeman and Moss, almost $1 million in state and federal tax liabilities and money he owed lawyers. He estimated he had assets worth $1 million to $10 million.

    In his most recent financial filings, he said he had about $94,000 cash in hand at the end of May while his company, Giuliani Communications, had about $237,000 in the bank. A main source of income for Giuliani has been a retirement account with a balance of just over $1 million in May, down from nearly $2.5 million in 2022.

    In May, he spent nearly $33,000 including nearly $28,000 for condo and co-op costs for his Florida and New York homes. He also spent about $850 on food, $390 on cleaning services, $230 on medicine, $200 on laundry and $190 on vehicles.

    Michael R. Sisak and Associated Press

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  • 70 days and counting: Election Day is around the corner. Are you ready?

    70 days and counting: Election Day is around the corner. Are you ready?

    The line outside of an early voting site in Jonesboro on Sunday, November 27, 2022. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    There are less than 70 days till Election Day, which takes place on November 5. In Georgia, just like in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, there are certain restrictions and requirements for voting. With just over two months to go, there are a number of ways Georgia voters can prepare themselves for the big day: registering to vote, making sure you are registered to vote in your county, early voting, and knowing where your designated polling place is. 

    The Atlanta Voice wanted to put together an easy-to-follow voting guide for Georgians. Here are some important dates and requirements that voters need to know before they go.

    Are you registered to vote?

    The last day to register to vote in Georgia is Monday, Oct. 7. To learn if you’re registered to vote, Georgians can visit vote.gov/register/Georgia . A quick visit to the site will offer the opportunity to not only check your registration but register to vote if needed. The final day to register to vote by mail is also Monday, Oct. 7. 

    There are different registration dates depending on the election taking place. The Georgia Office of Secretary of State lists the different dates.

    A national voter registration form is also available online in both English and Spanish.

    When can you vote early?

    For everyone ready to vote right now, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. Early voting in Georgia begins on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 10 days later on Friday, Oct. 25. 

    Where can I vote?

    There are designated polling places depending on which county you are registered to vote in. All registered voters have received voter registration cards and the designated polling place is on that card. If you don’t have your card, no problem. You can find out what your designated polling place is on the Office of the Secretary of State’s website or at the County Board of Registrar’s Office website.

    What will I need to vote?

    If you are registered to vote and are at your designated polling place then all you will need is a valid piece of photo identification. A list of valid pieces of identification are available on the Georgia Office of the Secretary of State website and include valid drivers licenses, Georgia public college or university identification cards, a valid United States passport, and a U.S. military identification card. 

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Georgia State Rep. Tanya Miller: Black History Should be Embraced

    Georgia State Rep. Tanya Miller: Black History Should be Embraced

    Photo courtesy: Georgia House of Representatives

    Georgia is in the national spotlight as one of two must-win states that will determine who ascends to the presidency. You would expect that under such scrutiny, our public officials might want to present the state and its voters as educated, informed, involved citizens. 

    Why then, do Georgia’s leaders so often speak and act in ways that deliberately inflame and perpetuate our state’s long-held racial and political divisions? 

    Georgia’s growing population spans all ages, races, faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and educational and economic levels. Our statewide public school system is “majority minority,” meaning the majority of students in our school demographics are Black students, Asian students, Hispanic students, Native American students, and a delightful array of multiracial students. We also have students who live in rural, urban and suburban areas. All across Georgia, our inclusive public schools strive to offer each student an outstanding learning experience and access to the same opportunities. That’s how we build an educated, informed and involved citizenry.

    But, no. Instead of encouraging understanding and respect among students, Georgia’s leaders are strangely focused on what they insist are “divisive concepts.” Specifically, Georgia’s leaders are denying state funding for a course in Advanced Placement African American Studies.

    Let’s be clear. This is nothing less than an attempt to erase and devalue African American history and heritage. Denying funding for AP African American Studies – an obviously racist, politically-motivated decision – simply demonstrates to children of color that their story matters less, or not at all. That is wholly unacceptable.

    For reference, the Georgia Department of Education calls AP courses “college-level courses offered by trained high school teachers in the regular high school setting. Since 2008, over one-third of the seniors in Georgia public high schools were enrolled in AP courses. AP courses guarantee rigor in our classrooms.” It continues, “AP courses are challenging and require significant study time on a daily basis. Assessments in these classes require sophisticated critical thinking skills.” AP courses also allow high-scoring students the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school.

    Georgia currently provides state funding for AP courses in European History, Art History, World History, American Politics, and nearly three dozen other content areas. Yet, AP African American Studies alone is singled out as offensive, controversial, and even illegal for teaching so-called divisive concepts. 

    As of late July, Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods planned on blocking the teaching of Advanced Placement African American Studies based on what he calls “areas of concern,” and he opines that, “If the Advanced Placement course had presented a comparative narrative with opposing views,” it would not violate Georgia law.

    There are no comparable “both sides” requirements for other AP courses.

    Georgia State Representative Tanya F. Miller, Esq. listens during Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s annual State of the State Address inside the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday, January 11, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    The fact is, understanding African American history is crucial for everyone. This country was built on the backs of Black Americans — literally— in many cases. AP African American Studies offers comprehensive, objective insights into American history, fostering a deeper understanding of our nation’s past and present. 

    All-encompassing knowledge equips students with critical thinking skills and a broader perspective, preparing them to be informed and engaged citizens who can better address the systemic issues that continue to divide our nation today. Instead, this course of study, which will enlighten and challenge all Georgia’s students, is effectively now banned.

    Much of the public outrage has been directed at Superintendent Woods, and while he certainly has earned the backlash he’s getting, it’s Georgia Governor Brian Kemp who intentionally created this manufactured controversy. Just two years ago, Mr. Kemp signed a law banning schools from teaching “divisive academic concepts about racism,” a law he championed by saying: “Here in Georgia, our classrooms will not be pawns to those who indoctrinate our kids with their partisan political agendas.” 

    Except, that is precisely what Governor Kemp and his fellow GOP state leaders are doing now. They act not to protect our children, but to boost their own political power. 

    So far, their proposed “solution” is to allow districts to choose to teach a non-AP African American studies class, which would not provide the full content or credit, the opportunity to earn college credit, or the academic recognition of the advanced placement course. Without state funding, only wealthier districts can afford to offer the AP course, thus deepening the educational inequalities and perpetuating urban and rural divisions in our state. 

    The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

    I am outraged by leaders who create divisive laws nobody asked for, then use them as cover for racism, all the while claiming to be neutral. One letter, asking for a few clarifications while taking no position on the issue, does not absolve Governor Kemp of responsibility. This is not a moment for equivocation. It is a time for leadership. 

    I am determined to stand up against this bigotry and for every child who deserves to have our nation’s full culture and history valued, shared and treated as significant. 

    That is why in the coming legislative session, I and other Democratic legislators will sponsor legislation to remove any barriers, real or perceived, to full state funding of AP African American Studies. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us to ensure that all Georgia students have access to a comprehensive, inclusive education and to all the opportunities they deserve, regardless of where they live. Moreover, Governor Kemp’s “divisive concepts” law must be repealed.

    I also urge Governor Kemp, Superintendent Woods and the State Board of Education to fully fund AP African American Studies– just like any other AP course – so that students all across the state have access to a comprehensive, inclusive education. 

    Georgia State Representative Tanya Miller, Esq., D-Atlanta, makes comments during delibrations at a House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee meeting on Monday, January 22, 2024 inisde the Georgia State Capitol. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    We owe our students nothing less.

    Regardless of the law’s intent, shouldn’t it have occurred to our leaders to clarify the issue before imposing a statewide ban that forced districts to rework class schedules for hundreds of students before school started? 

    Now, assuming the funding is restored, those same districts will have to hurriedly rework all those schedules once more in order for the AP course to be taught this school year. It seems all too “clear” that Georgia’s students and educators are not a top priority in the machinations of our elected and appointed GOP officials.

    Finally, after weeks of public outrage, national negative publicity, and pushback from Georgia citizens and prominent elected officials, School Superintendent Richard Woods reversed course, announcing on August 7 that he will “follow the law,” adding that “the AP African American Studies course will be added to the state-funded course catalog effective immediately.”

    Isn’t it embarrassing that Georgia’s Republican leaders have to be shamed and humiliated in order to do the right thing for their constituents? 

    They should be ashamed.

    Georgia State Representative Tanya F. Miller, ESQ., is a Democrat representing the 62nd State House District which contains portions of Atlanta and East Point. Miller also serves as the lead counselor with the Georgia Federation of Public Service Employees. The views and opinions expressed are entirely her own.

    Georgia State Representative Tanya F. Miller

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  • “It’s the honor of my life to represent Georgia”: Senator Warnock’s speech fires up Georgia and National Dem leadership

    “It’s the honor of my life to represent Georgia”: Senator Warnock’s speech fires up Georgia and National Dem leadership

    Photo courtesy of Roger Whyte II/Stratus Firm
    U.S. Senator Cory Booker was also in attendance on Tuesday morning and spoke glowingly of Warnock’s speech.
    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    CHICAGO – Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock spoke during night one of the Democratic National Convention on Monday. Early on day two of the convention during the Georgia Delegation breakfast his words were still on the minds of his fellow democrats. 

    Warnock gave The Atlanta Voice a few minutes to speak about his momentous speech.

    “I was deeply honored last night to have the opportunity to have the country hear from Georgia,” said Warnock, who spoke to this reporter by phone. “What I endeavored to do was stand in the moral tradition of Georgia’s native son, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Asked what he felt like immediately after the speech, Warnock said it was the “honor of his life to represent the people of Georgia.”

    “That’s a sacred commitment and covenant,” he continued. “It’s not unlike my commitment as a pastor.”

    Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Long-time Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson (2nd district) and Congressman Sanford Bishop (4th district) were on hand for the breakfast and both used the words “proud” and “sermon” when they spoke about Warnock’s speech. 

    “It was right on point. He told us what we needed to hear, he told America what they needed to hear,” Bishop said of the speech. “He was able to translate what would normally be a sermon into a message.”

    Johnson said, “Reverend Warnock is a gifted speaker, a motivational speaker, and a truth-teller. What is so unique about Warnock is that he speaks to all Americans regardless of their religion. I was so proud of him as one of Georgia’s senators.” 

    Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and the event’s host, Georgia Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams, were all complimentary of Warnock’s turn on stage that night. 

    “What a great speech he gave yesterday,” Whitmer said of Warnock. The Michigan Governor was one of several politicians who took the stage during the breakfast, which took place inside the Hyatt Regency downtown. 

    Pritzker, in his second term as governor, echoed a popular sentiment that if people around the country didn’t know Warnock, they did now following his speech.  

    Senator Cory Booker, who was a surprise guest to the breakfast, took the stage and was immediately complimentary of Warnock as well, stating that Warnock was a strong presence in the United States Senate and a great representative for Georgia. 

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Warnock to speak on Monday at Democratic National Convention

    Warnock to speak on Monday at Democratic National Convention

    Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga) (above) believes The Stitch is more than just another real estate development taking place in downtown Atlanta. Much more in fact. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock will be representing the state of Georgia at the Democratic National Convention later today. He will be among a who’s who of political stars, both past and present, that will be taking the stage in the United Center, including former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, former United States President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton, and current United States President Joseph R. Biden, who is slated to speak on Monday. 

    Democratic presidential nominee and current United States Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to accept her party’s nomination on Thursday night.

    Warnock, the Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church for the past 19 years, will speak today and will focus his speech on democracy and freedom, according to the Harris/Walz campaign. He will also be the speaker at the Georgia Delegation Breakfast earlier this morning.

    Warnock has been a surrogate for both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the past, speaking on their behalf several times, including at a rally in Atlanta in late July. During that rally Warnock came out on stage with fellow Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff. 

    The themes for the four-day convention are “For the People,” “A Bold Vision for America’s Future,” “A Fight for Our Freedoms,” and “For Our Future.” 


    Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell began his career covering sports and news in Atlanta nearly two decades ago. Since then he has written for Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Southern Cross…
    More by Donnell Suggs

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Fair Fight Action launches AI-powered chatbot to combat election disinformation in Georgia

    Fair Fight Action launches AI-powered chatbot to combat election disinformation in Georgia

    Fair Fight Action is launching Peaches, an AI-powered chatbot that answers user-generated questions ranging from voter registration to voter challenges. The service is designed to combat election disinformation and misinformation in Georgia.

    “Peaches, Fair Fight Action’s new AI chatbot and voting assistant, is here to help Georgians overcome these challenges by providing an accessible, nonpartisan, and trustworthy source of election information in multiple languages,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo, Fair Fight Action CEO. “With Peaches, we’re not just providing information, we’re innovating to continue our work of empowering voters to navigate new, complex barriers designed to suppress their voices.”

    Peaches can answer questions such as polling locations and how to get registered to vote. It also references Peaches can answer questions in English, Korean, Spanish or Vietnamese. For example, a user can type a question such as, “When is early voting in Georgia”. Within seconds, Peaches will give the following answer:

    Early voting in Georgia for the upcoming elections will begin on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

    • In-Person Voting: You can vote early in person at designated locations in your county.
    • Optional Sundays: There may also be optional Sundays for early voting on October 20 and October 27, 2024.

    It’s important to check with your county elections office for specific early voting hours, as they can vary by location.

    Peaches only Georgia Voter Information

    The feature is only for Georgia residents.

    Fair Fight also warns Georgia voters about registering to vote with websites unaffiliated with Georgia’s My Voter Page. Recently, Elon Musk’s super Political Action Committee (PAC), called the AmericaPAC, is under investigation. Allegedly, Musk’s Super Pac is collecting voters’ personal information with the intention of inviting them to register to vote. However, Musk’s Super PAC is promoting Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in battleground states. 

    Meanwhile, Fair Fight says  their AI chatbot, Peaches, will dispel the rumors that are pushed by “election integrity” activists. 

    “After Georgians turned out in historic numbers to vote in 2020, we’re facing new barriers to voting from laws like SB 202 and SB 189, and rising levels of disinformation that pose an unprecedented threat to our democracy,” said Groh-Wargo. 

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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  • Sen. Jon Ossoff sat down with The Atlanta Voice to talk about working for Georgia’s Black families

    Sen. Jon Ossoff sat down with The Atlanta Voice to talk about working for Georgia’s Black families

    Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, in his trademark suit without the tie, walked over to a position in front of the new Ebenezer Baptist Church, where a group of people were waiting. Among the people waiting were school-aged Black children on a field trip, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, and other local and statewide civil rights leaders.

    “I’m here to thank these distinguished civil rights leaders,” Ossoff said as he explained how he got the Federal Prison Oversight Bill, which he first introduced in 2022, passed. The bill was recently signed by United States President Joseph R. Biden. 

    Following the press conference on Tuesday morning, Ossoff dropped by The Atlanta Voice office to speak with newspaper leadership about other moves he is making to improve the lives of millions of Black families around the state.

    Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    The Atlanta Voice: What makes you want to fight for Black families the way you continue to do in the U.S. Senate?

    Sen. Jon Ossoff: When I ran for the Senate I focussed on health, jobs, and justice. When I think about the challenges faced by Georgia’s African American community, the health disparities in our state are vast, the gap in economic opportunity and empowerment are vast. The justice gap also remains vast, so I have focused legislative energy, both in terms of oversight and reform efforts and tangible deliverable resources appropriated to the state of Georgia on addressing those critical gaps.

    AV: What has some of that legislative energy wrought?

    JO: There’s a huge shortage of facilities and resources for Black Georgians. That’s on the southside of Atlanta, but also in rural communities across the state. That’s why I have appropriated funds for example, to Southern Regional Hospital. That’s why I appropriated funds to clinics in rural areas in Georgia, as well as to transportation services that help folks in rural and underserved areas get to their appointments, get to the pharmacy, get what they need.

    AV: There is a huge gap between Black and white women in maternal services in Georgia. What’s up with that?

    JO: The maternal health gap in Georgia, the racial divide is so extreme. Georgia has been at the bottom of the national rankings, basically last or second to last, in maternal health overall for over a decade. By some measures in recent years, maternal mortality for Black women in Georgia has been higher than maternal mortality in Iraq, a country that has been in a state of active conflict for more than two decades.

    Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff (above) with a copy of The Atlanta Voice inside a conference room at The Atlanta Voice office on Tuesday, August 5, 2024. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    Editor’s note: Ossoff recently held a senatorial hearing highlighting the testimony of OBGYN’s and maternal health doctors from Georgia. During the hearing Georgia’s six-week abortion ban was the main topic of discussion.

    JO: We heard testimony about women who were miscarrying, who were unable to get health care until they became sicker, sicker, and sicker. We heard testimony about a Georgia woman who had to leave the state, fly to Massachusetts to get healthcare, lost the pregnancy while traveling, and then upon arriving in Massachusetts went into sepsis. The extreme laws in Georgia are criminalizing the practice of obstetric medicine and worsening our shortage of OB GYN doctors in Georgia, who provide that vital prenatal care.

    AV: Medicaid is very important to millions of American families, and particularly to the state’s Black families, so why do you think it’s not as equally important to some of Georgia’s leaders?

    JO: Georgians pay the same federal taxes as residents of every other state in the country, but we are one of just 12 who refuse to get those resources back to help working families access health care. It doesn’t just deprive working families of healthcare, it deprives our hospitals of revenue. Because of there being insured patients coming through the door, there are uninsured patients coming through and the hospitals have to foot the bill. 

    AV: That might be why hospitals like Atlanta Medical Center were so easy to close?

    JO: They don’t have an insured patient population, because the state still refuses to expand Medicaid. And really, the only reason is that the underline legislation was advanced by former United States President Obama. There are still those lingering petty political grievances over the Affordable Care Act from more than a decade ago. So we have to think about health and in particular maternal health and the health of Black women. 

    AV: Part of that health is eating right, correct? There are so many counties in this state that aren’t as fortunate to have supermarkets and farmers markets within minutes like we do in Atlanta.

    JO: I’m introducing legislation called the Fresh Foods Act to help incentivize grocery stores, whether they are local community family-owned grocers or big supermarkets, to open new locations in underserved areas where they will sell fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re somewhere there’s no hospital, no health clinic, no grocery store offering fresh fruits and vegetables, the state hasn’t expanded Medicaid, so there’s a lack of access to health insurance, it’s not like it’s a mystery why health outcomes are so much worse. 

    AV: Why are organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, for example, so important for you to get federal funding?

    JO: I look at my job as a legislator and I think about it in the context of an entire human life. I thought about how we can focus on mentorship to children and adolescents, so I delivered resources for the organizations that specialize in mentorship, but for organizations here [in Georgia] that are healing place mentors and mental health professionals in schools too. 

    Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

    Editor’s Note: Mentorship and mental health resources, after school opportunities, community centers, and safe public parks are also things Ossoff mentioned were targets of his funding efforts. “These are all areas where I have delivered resources to upgrade facilities on the southside of town and in rural communities, and will continue to do so,” he said.

    AV: Lastly, I want to talk to you about the Federal Prison Oversight Act that you helped get to the president’s desk and now into law. How important was that bill to you personally, and to Georgia’s Black families that are so oftentimes most affected? 

    JO: My political upbringing and my first introduction to public life was working as a very young man for Congressman John Lewis. What’s happening behind bars across the country is a humanitarian crisis. It makes a mockery of the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. 

    It is an issue that I care about, it is an issue where I’ve focused oversight and investigative resources. And now with passage of the Federal Prison Oversight Act, we have passed the most significant prison transparency and inspection legislation in many, many years. 

    Donnell Suggs

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